About Us

The Interfaith Food Center is a non-faith-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) charity organization dedicated to meeting the needs of our hungry and homeless neighbors in Whittier, La Mirada and Santa Fe Springs.

IFC was founded in 1983 when several local churches and synagogues recognized a developing need as the number of malnourished senior citizens in the Whittier and La Mirada area continued to grow. This was primarily due to the impact of rising inflation while living on fixed incomes and limited Social Security dollars. This group of compassionate individuals organized and started Interfaith Food Center as a community-based food distribution center, serving some 30 low-income local families.

Today, Interfaith Food Center is one of the largest food pantries in California, serving more than 1,300 households on a weekly basis from a 6800 square foot warehouse/distribution facility equipped with commercial refrigerators and freezers and a walk in cooler unit to properly handle & store food donations.

Annually, IFC places more than three million pounds of food in the hands of struggling families and individuals. Food is obtained from the Los Angeles Regional Food bank, local markets, churches, community organizations, and individual donors.

Our Mission

The mission of the Interfaith Food Center is to alleviate hunger and food insecurity by providing compassionate supplemental food services to the hungry, disadvantaged, disabled and homeless population of the City and unincorporated areas of Whittier, the City of La Mirada and most recently,IFC has expanded its services to Santa Fe Springs. IFC fulfills this mission by:

Securing nutritionally balanced, supplemental food and promoting healthy eating habits for low and no income families and homeless individuals

Promoting community and recognizing the importance of maintaining strong support from community partners

Operating an efficient program by recruiting new donors, in-kind donations, and by strengthening the commitment of current supporters

Clients must complete a registration process. Families must meet Federal income guidelines in order to qualify for the program. To be eligible for the food program, clients must reside in the cities of Whittier, La Mirada, or Santa Fe Springs, or unincorporated Los Angeles County with a Whittier zip code. Participants must register for the food program. The process begins with an application and providing the following documentation: proof of address, proof of income and proof of the number of household members. Once registered, depending on the size of the family, clients may pick up supplemental bagged groceries one or two times per week.

A client’s weekly food allotment includes canned goods, dairy and deli-meat products, bread and fresh produce. The IFC secures 8 to 10 meals for each family. Food helps to nourish families and individuals, strengthens the frail elderly, and helps children perform better in school.

The center is a welcoming environment where priority is placed on respecting the dignity and individuality of all who seek IFC’s help.

HOMELESS LUNCH PROGRAM

Homeless individuals receive a daily sack lunch. The sack lunch program serves the homeless population of Whittier, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, and the surrounding communities, and individuals must live on the street, motel, car, and or shelter to qualify. A sack lunch is provided daily; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Sack lunches consist of a lunch on the go; muffin, hardboiled egg, granola bars, sandwich or salad, tuna kit, drink and fresh fruit. Participants must present a picture identification each time they participate in the program.

Participants are also provided with personal care items when supplies are available.